1
as in magic
the art or skill of performing tricks or illusions for entertainment
the illusionist's show is an entertaining blend of legerdemain and over-the-top showmanship
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in deception
the use of clever underhanded actions to achieve an end
the reduction of the deficit is due in part to financial legerdemain that masks the true costs of running the government
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of legerdemain
Between April 1 and 7, the fair gathered 60 brands at the Palexpo exhibition center that broke new records, showcased world premieres and offered an ever-growing array of technical and artistic legerdemain in their latest high-end timepieces.
—
Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 17 Apr. 2025
No matter how Congress formally scores the price of extending the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, as well as other Trump initiatives, accounting legerdemain can’t make fiscal reality disappear.
—Howard Gleckman, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2025
This legerdemain enabled Bragg to circumvent the two-year misdemeanor statute of limitations — in other words, the time to charge this stale case, which is based on seven-year-old bookkeeping entries, lapsed in 2019.
—The Editors, National Review, 29 May 2024
Any such legislative legerdemain would be an unwarranted assault to circumvent the caps.
—State Senator Stephen Harding, Hartford Courant, 26 Feb. 2024
See All Example Sentences for legerdemain
Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 17 Apr. 2025
No matter how Congress formally scores the price of extending the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, as well as other Trump initiatives, accounting legerdemain can’t make fiscal reality disappear.
—Howard Gleckman, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2025
This legerdemain enabled Bragg to circumvent the two-year misdemeanor statute of limitations — in other words, the time to charge this stale case, which is based on seven-year-old bookkeeping entries, lapsed in 2019.
—The Editors, National Review, 29 May 2024
Any such legislative legerdemain would be an unwarranted assault to circumvent the caps.
—State Senator Stephen Harding, Hartford Courant, 26 Feb. 2024
See All Example Sentences for legerdemain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for legerdemain
Noun
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The magic happens when human judgment, experience, and creativity are layered on top of those patterns.—
Rodger Dean Duncan,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Still, the interplay isn’t the source of The Return of the Durutti Column’s magic, as wonderful as those moments can be.—
Brad Shoup,
Pitchfork,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Named one of the 10 Best Books of 2025 by The New York Times, Angel Down follows Private Cyril Bagger, who has managed to survive the unspeakable horrors of WWI through his wits and deception, swindling fellow soldiers at every opportunity.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
26 Jan. 2026
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The drama about power, deception, and the complex bond between father and son is set in 1930s New York as international financier Gregor Antonescu’s empire faces collapse.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Just like the ClickFix attacks, this malicious trickery is all about running commands that almost all users would never think to do in normal circumstances.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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While there’s a little studio trickery, like a drum part taped at a slower tempo but sped up to the BPM in the recording, the rest was due to a perspective shift.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Smiley, working with his colleague Peter Guillam (Benedict Cumberbatch) narrows his inquiry to five men, including Bill Haydon (Colin Firth) and Roy Bland (Ciarán Hinds), using clever subterfuge and maneuvering to get the truth.—
David Faris,
TheWeek,
15 Jan. 2026
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Political pressure and subterfuge to extend American influence, perhaps combined with a bid to buy the island, seem more plausible but are unlikely to work.—
Comfort Ero,
Time,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
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But even as skeptics label Strategy and the DAT model as a house of cards built on financial chicanery, others view them as early leaders in an emerging category of crypto banks.—
Jeff John Roberts,
Fortune,
3 Dec. 2025
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The tale away from the playing field in recent years has been dizzying, one of soaring costs and debts, of quirks and chicanery unseen elsewhere.—
Chris Weatherspoon,
New York Times,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
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With season 4 rapidly approaching, now's the time to prepare for the treachery to come.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 Dec. 2025
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Instead of being killed, Ashur takes Spartacus’ life and is consequently rewarded for his treachery by the Roman Empire.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
1 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Of course, the retort is that this would be irritating and exasperating to be continually deluged with alerts about AI deceptiveness.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
24 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Possible skulduggery on that answer messes with this pick a bit.—
Greg Cote
December 24,
Miami Herald,
24 Dec. 2025
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There was much more to it than that, including some skullduggery along the way.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
22 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Legerdemain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/legerdemain. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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